This blog is written by old gunslingers who have been out in the sun too long. It does not represent the views of any club or organization. Any offense to any person living or dead is unintentional.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Mental Preparedness (Updated)

Cowboy Fast Draw is largely mental. Any athletic or competition driven
activity is mentally important. Fast draw requires focus, concentration
and relaxation. Getting prepared mentally before a practice session or
match is challenging some times. Top level performers don’t just show up
on game day and perform at a high level. They come with a well tuned
mental attitude.
High level performers practice on and off the range. A University (don’t
ask me which one) conducted an experiment with the basketball program.
The whole team shot free throws to get a baseline score based on the
number of free throws made out of 10. Half the team physically practiced
improving their skills on the court for 2 weeks. The other half of the
team never stepped foot on the court for the same 2 week period. The
second group did nothing but in a relaxed state vividly imagined
themselves shooting free throws successfully. Imagining the feel of the
ball and the smell of the gym and the sound the ball made going trough
the hoop. At the end of the two weeks the first group did improve their
skills. The second group that didn’t touch a ball for 2 weeks but
vividly imagined successful shots improved more than the group that
physically practiced. Athletes call this “skull practice”. A night or
two before a big match rest your body but exercise your mind getting
mentally prepared vividly imagining yourself standing on the line,
imagine the feel of the grip, watch the light come on and explode into
action hitting the light, imagine your perfect trigger pull position,
smell the gunpowder in the air. Your subconscieous mind can’t tell the
difference between a real experience and one that is vividly imagined.
That’s why dreams seem so real.
Mental preparedness plays a big roll in your confidence. When you are on
that line you need to believe that you are the best shooter on that
line. You have practiced, you know what your abilities are, you know
what is going to happen, you know you can do it you’ve done it thousands
of times before. Believe in yourself to be successful. Believe you are
good enough not to be afraid to face anyone, your the best, nobody is
better than you are. I realize for this to work for you that you have to
have the skills to get yourself to believe that so practice until you
develop the skills so you can believe that winning attitude.

When you are standing on that line empty your mind of everything. Flush
your thoughts. You have made the decision and investment to be standing
on that line at this point in time. All that matters is focusing your
attention on exploding on that target when the light comes on. This is
the fastest sport in the world measured in thousands of a second. You
can focus 7 seconds at a time and not have a thought in your mind for
that long between “Shooters on the line, shooters set” to the 3 – 5
seconds the light comes on. Then let the world rush back in until you
hear “The line is ready.” Flush your mind and focus for another 7
seconds.

Relax. Relax your mind and body on the line. Loosen the grip on your gun
grip, relax your shoulders, relax your arm. Explode from the relaxed
position when that light comes on. Have you ever had a practice session
where you are tensed up and the harder you try the worse it gets? I
have. Then you give up to the point you almost don’t care anymore so
your not trying as hard, your more relaxed then you just let it fly and
happen on its own is when you get your fastest times ever. Easy to say
relax, hard to do. Practice it.
Prepare mentally, relax, focus, develop your skills for a confident winning attitude. See you on the line.

Old Gunslinger

Warning!

This blog has succumbed to the modern era and will no longer contain any references to any person, place, event or organization. Momentary lapse in political correctness may occur when the blogger can no longer resist poking fun at certain silliness in our lives. Bloggees should read only at their own risk!

Think About It!

It us not the critic who counts; not the man who points how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end triumph of high achievement; and and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.